Peter has been an active advocate for civil
rights, and has a long history of litigation in federal and state
courts to vindicate the constitutional rights of people, especially in
a workplace setting. He was a member of the Board of the Capital
District Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union from 2005
through 2007, has handled
several legal matters for the Chapter and is also an active member
of the Legal Committee.

In 1984, Peter brought his first case under 42 USC
§ 1983, successfully challenging the reapportionment of the Greene
County legislature. He has a long history of vigorously advocating for
the constitutional rights of public employees and has handled a number
of cases involving their First Amendment rights, including several
cases before federal appellate courts. In 2007 he was able to
obtain a $180,000 settlement for the former Rensselaer County Director
of Real Property
Services, who had been terminated after 27 years of County employment
after
criticizing illegal practices of the County. The First Amendment
retaliation case had survived two motions for Summary Judgment,
including a motion to dismiss on the basis of the 2006 United
States Supreme Court decision in Garcetti v. Ceballos.

In 2002, Peter wrote an amicus brief for the National Employment
Lawyers Association in Burns
v. City of Detroit, 660 N.W.2d 85 (Mich.
App. 2002), arguing against the so-called “First Amendment” defense for
sexually harassing speech.

Peter has also handled a number of cases involving
allegations of excessive force utilized by corrections officers and
police officers. He has an extensive record of successfully
representing correction officer defendants in such cases, as well as
representing individuals who have been victims of improper uses of
force by law enforcement employees.